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The year continued relatively uneventfully, something which Blake was very grateful for. Aside from the even more awkward interactions with Charlotte and Malfoy's occasional behind-the-back comments, nothing much had changed.
"Excuse me?" a small voice said from behind him. Blake turned around quickly, wand in hand.
Oh? It was a first year Slytherin boy. Blake had seen him around the school and at the benches. If he remembered correctly, this boy was friends with the one Malfoy had sent earlier in the year before their duel to spike him.
"Hello," Blake said curiously.
"I - I heard that you do essays?"
Set up, Blake immediately thought.
"I don't know what you mean," he responded, seeming confused. "I think you heard wrong." Blake turned to leave, but the boy called out again.
"It's not a trap! I promise! I'm just horrid at Herbology, and I hate doing the essays!""
Horrid at Herbology, huh? Kid's just like me. Hmm, let's see…
"Alright then…"
"Crateus Nott."
"Nott. I'll need an Unbreakable Vow that you won't tell anyone right now. If that doesn't work for you, I'll Obliviate you."
"W- What!?"
"You heard me."
"But I won't tell-"
"Why are you hesitating?"
"Maybe because I don't want to-"
"Five. Four. Th-"
"Merlin, fine! Are all mudbloods like this?"
"Locomotor Mortis!"
Crateus fell down with a crash and a shriek.
"If your blood makes you so great, get back up, Nott."
Swearing and spewing more derogatory language, Nott reached for his wand.
"Expelliarmus."
The wand crashed out of the boy's hand.
"Get up, Nott."
Gritting his teeth and wisely deciding to not speak anymore, Nott tried to stand. Fair enough, he's getting up relatively quickly, Blake praised.
"Locomotor Mortis."
Nott fell back down.
"Get up, Nott."
"You think you're so powerful, mudblood? Argh!"
Blake had sent a Stinging Hex right at the boy's face.
"Let's come to an… agreement, Nott. If you manage to refrain from using stupid, senseless terms. I won't have to educate you, and you can get your essays, and hopefully, if you truly are a Slytherin, rather than keeping up the false narratives of ugly, weak, scared, old men, you would take advantage of this situation to further your own purposes."
Nott struggled to his feet, still gritting his teeth.
"Anyway, follow me."
Blake turned back, moving towards the dungeons to find Greengrass for the Unbreakable Vow. He's not following me - he's moving for his wand.
Blake waited in curious anticipation to see whether or not the boy would be foolish enough to try and hex him from behind - but an attack never came, and Nott began to, albeit slowly and fussily, follow him back.
Blake grinned.
Maybe this will prove to be useful.
/
After the Unbreakable Vow had been made (after Greengrass made him acknowledge that he 'owed her'), Blake reminded Nott of the consequences of breaking it, and told him to meet him outside the Great Hall on Sunday for the essay.
Client list is growing a lot, Blake thought. I've more or less reached the point where I can't do any more essays without sacrificing training time.
Either way, it was nothing to complain about, and the year continued steadily. Soon enough, June had arrived.
"I knew we'd win the House Cup!" Tracey said, pumping her fist in the air. "I'm telling you, without Potter pulling his 'Hero House Points' crap, they're useless!"
"What did you contribute again?" Zabini asked.
"30 House Points!" Tracey responded proudly. "More than you, right?"
"I got 40."
"Shut up, Blaise. Blake and Daphne beat you."
"Renshaw and Greengrass are try-hards."
"I am not a try-hard."
"I like to say I'm a natural talent, actually," Blake smirked. "Just because I'm better than you at every subject-"
"Herbology?"
"Stupid subject, you know that, Zabini."
"I think you're speaking from a place of envy, Zabini," Greengrass added. "But don't feel bad. I'm sure it's hard to know that I exceed all of you in everything."
"Sorry, did you say 'all of you'?"
"Just wait till next year, Greengrass, I promise you, you'll be begging for my help with Runes or Arithmancy!"
"You're just a bookworm, Daph!"
"Maybe you ought to study more then, Tracey. And Zabini, you'll never-"
"Shut up, Greengrass."
What if I don't want to study?"
"- beat me in anything. And Renshaw-"
"-has already beaten you in practically everything," Blake finished with a grin.
"Renshaw," she continued, ignoring him, "I'm better than you at most things, and we're tied in everything else."
"Bullsh*t!"
"He's better than you at Defence, Transfiguration-" Zabini started.
"-Astronomy, and Charms now too!" Tracey gleefully butted in.
"Why don't you two kiss his feet while you're at it?" Greengrass snapped. "Why're you defending him?"
Before anyone could reply, there was a knock at the door.
Blake froze. That knock…
"Come in," Greengrass ordered, a similar expression on her face. The door inched open slowly, and behind it was a face everyone had been waiting to see the whole year.
"Charlotte!" Tracey shouted, and faster than she'd ever moved in her life, she rushed to greet her.
"H- Hi-" Charlotte started to speak, tearfully.
"Tracey, don't accost her!" Zabini ordered. "Let her sit down first!"
"Shut up, Blaise! Don't get involved."
"No, really, it's-" Charlotte tried again.
"Tracey, let her sit," Greengrass said.
"I am trying to, Daphne! Blake, move!"
"Tracey, it's fine, don't-" Charlotte tried once more.
"I already have moved! You're the one in the way, Tracey!"
"No, I'm not! All 3 of you-"
"TRACEY! I SAID, 'IT'S FINE'!"
The room went silent as everyone turned simultaneously to look at Charlotte, who turned red at the attention. Nonetheless, she steeled herself, and began to speak.
"I- I just wanted to apologise," she began bowing her head.
"You have nothing to apologise for, Charlotte," Blake said, and the rest of the group murmured their agreement. Although he felt even more guilty because of her apology, Blake couldn't help but feel elated. She's back - of her own free will, she's back!
"Everyone gets the position you were in," Greengrass said in an uncharacteristically kind tone. "The fact that you didn't go and associate with Malfoy when there was pressure to do so speaks for itself."
"But still," Charlotte protested. "I- I left because I let myself get bullied into it. I was too weak to do anything about it."
"Come off it, Charlotte," Zabini said dismissively. "You were barely 12, and your mother's what? In her twenties? What were you supposed to do? Fight her? Even if you could, she's still your mother."
"No one blames you at all for anything, Charlotte," Tracey said. Blake noted it was odd to hear her so serious. "We're all grateful to have you back - if that's what you came here for," she added hastily.
"It is!" Charlotte replied even faster. "I… I decided to try and come back after the Christmas holidays," she quickly glanced at Blake, "But I decided to wait until today. My mother won't know that I've had this conversation, so summer shouldn't be too bad, and then next year I'll be free. I wanted the Hogsmeade permission slip too. And, Daphne, if your offer is still-"
"Of course it is," Greengrass quickly said.
"Thank you," Charlotte said, bowing her head in gratitude again. "I…" she looked around the room, hesitating slightly. "I'm sorry I let her get the better of me. I won't let it happen again."
The room was silent for a moment, before Blake laughed.
"Don't worry, Charlotte," he told her. "Because even if it does happen again, it doesn't matter. However long it takes, we'll wait for you."
That night, reunited, Blake, Greengrass, Zabini, Charlotte and Tracey talked and laughed until morning came.
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